Craigslist change... Have you been affected

[BillH]

AutoRevo just upgraded their posting system, it appears to take the complete post and make it into a jpeg. Easier to post, less steps. We'll see how it goes. In my market, posts seem to get buried very quickly.

What are popular alternatives for posting?

Thanks!!
BIll

 

[yagoparamo]

AutoRevo just upgraded their posting system, it appears to take the complete post and make it into a jpeg. Easier to post, less steps. We'll see how it goes. In my market, posts seem to get buried very quickly.

What are popular alternatives for posting?

Thanks!!
BIll

Bill,

Posting as an image is an "old school" method to post when the system is weak. Craigslist targets the code to find repetitive URLs, image servers, etc and ghost the ads, so by posting just one image per ad the posting system doesnt have to be very good.

The bad part is that Craigslist is a search by type text engine, so ads with more text (and not just one big jpg) will always get more traffic/calls just because they show more often in the searches.

 

[yagoparamo]

We recently worked with Craigslist ability to send RSS feeds, those of you already posting may like what we did and set it up on your own pages.

See the RSS feed test in this page (the bubble that says 'inventory'):

Jeremy Franklin Suzuki

Our small "article" about it here:

Craigslist RSS

 

[flosho]

Clad Genius is an autoposter. Autoposters not only violate the TOU but also do that by using a software to break the security measured that CL has in place. That is commonly referred as hacking.

Everything we do is done manually. We just created a tool and makes the process as easy as humanly possible.

Clad is an auto poster, but any 3rd party posting tool is agaisnt the TOU. Even if you hire someone to post on behalf of the company (in house person, that is), that is against the TOU as I read it.


We use IMG ads now, but our views are significantly down (with some exceptions on certain vehicles that still get a ton of heat) compared to regular text ads. The image ads are way less searchable but much more reliable.

 

[yagoparamo]

Clad is an auto poster, but any 3rd party posting tool is agaisnt the TOU. Even if you hire someone to post on behalf of the company (in house person, that is), that is against the TOU as I read it.

If you interpret the TOU literally then nobody can post but the bank that owns the tittle of the cars. Even in that case, who could post, the stock holders?

The TOU was made as a provision to control people from taking unfair advantage of the CL system and it is enforced to that extent.

If you research CL lawsuits they have been after companies that flat out used computer systems to break into their databases and over post, break captchas, etc. So far nobody got in trouble for clicking too fast and being quick with the mouse.

Now--posting as a 3rd party is one thing and Autoposting is something else.

Posting as a 3rd party you are not abiding by the rules that CL has to join their game. Kind of like putting plaster inside boxing gloves.

Auto posting is using a computer system to break into another computer system (namelly hacking) that is not just against the TOU but also it happens to be illegal (illegal means that there is a LAW--not a rule--against it). Kind of like using esteroids in boxing (both against the rules and illegal).

We use IMG ads now, but our views are significantly down (with some exceptions on certain vehicles that still get a ton of heat) compared to regular text ads. The image ads are way less searchable but much more reliable.

Of course, Craigslist is ALL about TEXT.

 

[BillH]

Thanks for the input. I have also seen a big drop in activity. It's easier to post but seem moot. Looks pretty but no one looks at it. Time for plan "B".

Bill

 

[yagoparamo]

Thanks for the input. I have also seen a big drop in activity. It's easier to post but seem moot. Looks pretty but no one looks at it. Time for plan "B".

Bill

Bill,

Pretty doesn't sell in CL. People didn;t go there in the first time for looks but for other reasons.

(I dont know if I'm supposed to say this!) We work with a few dealrrs in FL and I would love to take a shoot at your stuff. PM me if you are interested.

 

[flosho]

Pretty doesn't sell in CL. People didn;t go there in the first time for looks but for other reasons.

I have to disagree on some level. I used to think (and maybe this was true) that CL was only for the "old school" style people that are on the internet but not necessarily very internet savvy so the basic design of CL was tailored to this type of person. Now days, everyone uses CL to search. Talk to people and I bet a good portion search 2-3 times a week, just browsing the different sections. I'd also be interested to see what portion of traffic the 18-35 y/o demographic is on CL. I think things have shifted so that more information/pictures and a clean, good looking template will do wonders.

The problem with Image ads, is that some people will see them as "Spammy" and I think that's why it is important to have a few different approaches.

CL ads used to consist of "1994 chevy pickup, 4x4, good runner, call xxx-xxx-xxxx" but now internet shoppers require more info and CL is not just for "local" purchases. I'd say anywhere between 3-4 hours people will drive to purchase an item off craigslist, especially a car - heck when I'm looking for something on CL I will search up to roughly a 500 mile radius. There's another constant battle in posting in "neighboring" cities on CL and what is local/not local...

 

[yagoparamo]

I have to disagree on some level. I used to think (and maybe this was true) that CL was only for the "old school" style people that are on the internet but not necessarily very internet savvy so the basic design of CL was tailored to this type of person. Now days, everyone uses CL to search. Talk to people and I bet a good portion search 2-3 times a week, just browsing the different sections. I'd also be interested to see what portion of traffic the 18-35 y/o demographic is on CL. I think things have shifted so that more information/pictures and a clean, good looking template will do wonders.

The problem with Image ads, is that some people will see them as "Spammy" and I think that's why it is important to have a few different approaches.

CL ads used to consist of "1994 chevy pickup, 4x4, good runner, call xxx-xxx-xxxx" but now internet shoppers require more info and CL is not just for "local" purchases. I'd say anywhere between 3-4 hours people will drive to purchase an item off craigslist, especially a car - heck when I'm looking for something on CL I will search up to roughly a 500 mile radius. There's another constant battle in posting in "neighboring" cities on CL and what is local/not local...

I don't understand what part you disagree with me...

 

[Brian Podolak]

I try not to get involved with these threads too much, as sometimes there is no clear answer.

It is funny how some people interpret rules to what they are selling. Bottom line is, If you use a tool or a service to post your inventory you are in a gray area for a TOS. Ihave heard of other services who supposedly have a letter from CL saying what they do is fine, but have never seen it, so I do not believe it.

I have heard good things of some of the tools here, but still so many issues can happen to dealers is why they may want to use a service, such as us, to post to a couple hundred classifieds a day, 7 days a week, and not worry about it.

Other dealers prefer the tool options, such as mentioned above and that is fine also.

Clad Genius did have some issues with CL some times ago, but I think a couple other tools mentioned here did also. If this tool has an option for a dealer to "spam" a classified, I think might be an issues IF a dealer does this.

If you are happy with what you have , leave it alone.

If you dont have the time to worry about it, and want it just handled daily so you can sell, look to a few services.

If you need end to end, calls, postings, and appointment setting, we might be a choice.

Either way, I would suggest other vendors here be careful of terms such as "hacking" and "breaking TOS."

Wish you all the best of luck.